Shoe tree



1941- G. A. PEIRCE ET AL 3% SHOE TREE Filed Oct. 3, 1940 v v 2'Sheets-Sheet 1 1941. G. A. PEIRCE ETAL 2,266,253

' SHOE TREE Filed Oct. 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w I W 4;

Patented Dec. 16, 1941 Snon ran r;

se ers 0.

Application October 3, 1940,- Serial No. 359,592 12 Claims. (or.1251291) The, present invention relates to shoe straightening devices,commonly known as shoe trees, and, particularly to devices adapted to beattached externally of a shoe for the purpose of straightening the soleof the latter and maintaining the shoe in the proper shape while notinusel It is the general object of the present invention to provide anovel and useful shoe tree of the iexternal type which is extremelysimple in construction and operation, and may be economicallymanufactured, while at the same time possessing adequate rigidity andgreat durability. A further object is to provide a shoe tree of the typein question, which, in one embodiment, may be adjusted to various sizesof shoes without the necessity of manipulating any bolts, Wing nuts orthe like, the parts being maintained in adjusted relation byfriction'means only.

A further object of the invention is to providea shoe'tree of theexternal type which will be particularly suitable for usewith heavyshoes and boots, and more specifically with ski-boots having theconventional grooved heels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an external shoe treecomprising two members slidable relative tov each other, one of suchmemberscarrying toe engaging means and the other member carrying heelengaging means, and a simple friction device for'maintaining the twomembers in adjusted relation;

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel frictionlock for use in 'connection with shoe trees of the type in question.

A further object is the provision of a shoe tree of the type mentioned,having means for adjustment to accommodate shoes of varying thicknesswith respect to the soles and heels thereof, and ski-bootshaving'grooves at varying distances above the bottom of the heel.

It is well known that shoe trees adapted for application externally ofthe shoe or boot'have certain advantages, one important advantage beingthat such devices do not impede ventilation of the shoe, and thereforefacilitate drying out of the shoe after use, Other advantages of suchdevices are that they do not bulge or distort'the toe or heel of theupper, do not cause ripping of the seams of the upper, and do notstretch the material of the upper part'of the shoe, as internal shoetrees are apt to do when sufiicient pressure is applied to straightenthe soles of the shoes to the desired degree.

He'retofore, however, shoe trees of the external type have had certaindisadvantages, one

principal disadvantage residing in the various expedients employed forsecuring the tree to the heel portion of the: shoe. Forthis purpose,sharp pointed clamping devices of various kindshave been employed, whichnaturally-mar the appearance of the shoe; and likewise tend to :separatethe layers of leather or other material making up the heel; Otherdevices have been proposed, in which one or more members extendsupwardly over the rear portion of the shoe and-engages inside the heelportion of theshoe upper. Such devices not only tend to scuif and marthe leather, but also tendto pull the upper portion of the shoe out ofshape f The shoe tree, of the present invention avoids the aforesaid"disadvantages of the-prior shoe trees of the external type,'andpossesses" the advantage thatzit will, not injure or mutilate any partof the shoe. Furthermore, it. is easily and quickly adjusted and appliedto, any size shoe, provides a positive griponthe shoelinsuring anadequate straightening effect, and is sufficiently'rug'ged to be usefulin connection "with the heaviest types of bootsand'shoes. Other andfurther objects, features and advantages ot the'present'invention willbe apparent to one skilled intlie artfror'n the following descriptiontaken in connection with'the accompanying drawings in which? Figure 1 isa side elevation of ashoe tree constructed in accordancewith the presentinvention, as it appears 'in usef i Y Figure 2' is a plan view ofthedevice of Figure1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectionon line 3-3 ofFigureh. l V

Figure 4 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, ofa. modified form of the invention;. Figure 5 isga fragmentary bottomview of the device of Figure 4; 1

Figure 6 is a transverse section on line ti Of Figure 4; V I

Figureflvis a plan view of a modified form of heel gripping device;

Figure8 is a-section on line 88 of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a sideelevationof a further modification; v

Figure 10' is a bottom view of the tree of Figure 9 7 I a Figure 11 is asection on line ll-' H of Figure l0; r

Figure 12 is a section on line lam-t2 of Figurell;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a wedging element employed in thetree of Figures 9-12; and

Figure 14 is a view like Figure 9 but showing the use of a diiferentheel gripping member.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference ismade to the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings anddetailed descriptive language is employed. It will nevertheless beunderstood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended andthat various changes and alterations are contemplated such as wouldordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates.

Referring to Figures 1-3, the shoe tree there illustrated comprisesgenerally a flat rigid member In of wood, metal or other suitablematerial, carrying a toe clip ll rigidly secured thereto by rivets l2; asecond rigid member l3 carrying a heel clip l4 secured thereto as byrivets l5; and a sleeve it which serves to retain and guide the membersand I3 relative to each other, and to urge them into frictionalengagement whereby they will be retained in the relation to which theyhavebeen adjusted. The sleeve [6 is preferably Qofmetal having a certainamount of resilience, and may consist of a rectangular tube, eithercontinuousordiscontinuous, as desired. In the present instance, thesleeve I6 is discontinuous, as best seen in Figure 3, being made from aflat sheet of metal. Th'e sleeve l6 may, if desired, be secured to oneor the other of the members l0, I3, and if desired, may be deformed toincrease the friction eflect.

-The toe clip H is preferably formed of metal of a s'u'fiiciently heavygauge to be substantially rigid, and is providedat its upper end with aninwardly turned flange I! which engages the upper edge of the forward ortoe portion of the shoe sole, thereby clamping the latter securelyagainst the member l0.

- In the embodiment illustrated in Figures l3, the heel clip I4 isdesigned particularly for use in connection with ski-boots, the heels ofwhich are provided with peripheral grooves, principally for the purposeof receiving the heel engaging member of the usual ski harness orbinding. In Figure 1 the heel 20 of the boot i8 is provided with thegroove [9.

The h'eel clip 14 extends upwardly and is curved slightly, about avertical'axis, to conform approximately to the general contour of theheel 20. In addition, the upper portion of the clip I4 is bent toprovide an inwardly or forwardly projecting portion 2!, which extendstransversely throughout the width of the heel clip, and engages in thegroove l9, thereby securely holding the heel of the boot down againstthe tree.

In applying the tree to the boot, the toe of the sole is first insertedunder the flange I! of the clip I I, after which the boot sole ispressed firmly against the rigid member W, and the member I3 is adjustedlengthwise, relative to the member In, until the portion 2| of the heelclip l4 engages in the groove l9. In adjusting the member l3 relativetothe member ID, it is necessary to overcome the friction between theirabutting surfaces and the friction between one or the other of suchmembers and the sleeve "5. The frictionbetween the members in questionis initially regulated so that the adjustment may be easily made whileat the same time there will be sufficient friction between the severalmembers to prevent the accidental extension of the tree so as tounintentionally release the boot. It will be understood that once thetree is installed on the boot, there is little if any force exerted in adirection to extend the shoe tree, while in fact the friction betweenthe members In and I3 and the sleeve I6 is enhanced by the force exertedby the boot in a direction normal to the tree.

Figures 4-6 illustrate a modified form of the invention in which thelongitudinal members 25 and 26 are formed of metal. The member 26 isprovided with downwardly and inwardly extend ing flanges 26' to enclosethe edges of the member 25, so that the two members thus have atelescoping relation. The member 26 is provided with a toe clip Il'similar to the toe clip II described above, and the member 25 carries aheel clip I4 similar to the heel clip previously described.

This embodiment of the invention includes a novel frictional device formaintaining the members 25 and 25 in adjusted relation, against anyforce tending to move them apart so as to extend the shoe tree. Thus, aportion of the member 25 is deformed downwardly to provide a cage 21 fora small roller 28, which preferabl has a roughened surface. The cage 21has a short, sharply inclined portion 29 and a longer and more gentlyinclined portion 30. The inclination of the respective portions 29 and30 is such that when themembers 25 and 26 are moved in a direction toextend the shoe tree, the roller 28 will be gripped between the inclinedportion 30 of the cage 21 and the undersurface of the member 26,efiecting a wedging action which prevents relative movement of themembers 25 and 26. However, when the latter members are pushed towardeach other, the roller is released, and the inclination of the portion29 of the cage is such that there will be no wedging action between thatportion of the cage and the member 26.

When the members are frictionally locked in adjusted relation, as justdescribed, and it is desired to extend the tree, it is only necessary tomove the roller 28 slightly to the left, which destroys the wedgingaction, and permits the members 25 and 26 to be freely moved lengthwiseof each other. It is obvious that any suitable wedging member might besubstituted for the roller 28.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a modified form of heel clip for use withordinary boots or shoes, the heels of which are not adapted to besatisfactorily engaged by the form of heel clip previously described. Aswill be seen in Figure 7, the upper portion of the heel clip 35 extendstransversely to a greater distance than is the case with the heel clip[4, and has no bulged portion corresponding to the portion 2| of thelatter. The upper portion of the clip 35 is curved to conformapproximately to the contour of the rear edge of a shoe heel, and iscoated, either entirely or on its inner surface only, with a layer 36 ofrubber or other suitable material having a high coeiiicient of friction.Preferably, the curvature of the clip is slightly greater than that ofthe average shoe heel, so that the respective'ends of the clip will havea resilient gripping action on the engaged heel, which action will begreatly enhanced by the layer 36 of friction material. The heel clip ofFigures 7 and 8 may, of course, be used in lieu of the heel clip ofeither of the previously described embodiments.

In the modification of Figures 9-13, provision has been 'made forpositively clamping the telescoping members in fixed relation, and meansare also providedfor adjusting the height of the heel and toe clips toaccommodate different thicknesses of heels and soles. In this form ofthe invention the telescoping longitudinal members 40, A! correspondgenerally to the members 25, 280i Figures 4-6, but the friction device2830 is omitted, the members M, ti being adapted to be secured in fixedrelation by a thumb screw 42 threaded in the member 4i.- The toe clip 43is secured at its inner end to the member 4| by screws 4a or othersuitable means and is formed of resilient metal so as to be constantlyurged upwardly relative to the member M. The position of the clip 33relative to member 4! may be adjusted by means of a wedge 45 which isbest seen in Figure 13, and which is formed with in-turned edge flangesd whereby the wedge slidably engages the longitudinal portion 43- of theclip 43. An upturned flange 47 engages the underside of the member GI,and by adjusting the wedge along the portion 43' of the clip, the heightof the latter may be varied.

The heel clip G8 is secured to the member 46, and is provided with asliding wedge 49 similar to that just described. By adjusting the wedge39, the heel clip may be accommodated to skiboots having heel grooves atdifferent heights.

Figure 14 illustrates the tree of Figures 9-13, but provided with a heelclip 59 similar to the toe clip 53, for use with ordinary dress andother shoes, in place of the heel clip 48 and in lieu of a heel clipsuch as that of Figures 7 and 8. It will be understood that the flange55 of the clip 56 fits over the top edge of the heel proper, at thejunction of the latter with the shoe upper.

In connection with each of the several embodiments of the invention itwill be observed that the heel clip, whatever its form, engages the trueheel of the shoe below the counter thereof. This insures engagement witha firm rigid and solid portion of the shoe which cannot be distorted ormarred by the application of the shoe tree.

It is apparent that the shoe tree of the present invention has no pointsor surfaces which can in any way injure or mar any part of the shoe andthat, by reason of its great simplicity and rigidity, it possessesimportant advantages over the shoe trees of the external type which havebeen in use heretofore.

Since the device of the present invention may be employed in connectionwith any type of boot,

as well as footwear of the kind commonly designated as shoes incontradistinction to boots, the word shoe as employed in the appendedclaims is to be understood as comprehending exterior footwear of allkinds, whether commonly known as boots or as shoes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is: v

l. A shoe tree comprising an elongated, rigid l iember adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, said member having a hook portion at one endthereof adapted to engage the forward end of said sole and retain saidsole in engagement with said member, a second elongated rigid memberslidable longitudinally of and in parallelism with said first member andcarrying at its distal end heel-gripping means adapted to engage therearward edge of a shoe heel below the counter, and means retaining andguiding said members for sliding movement only relative to each other.

2. A shoe tree comprising an elongated, rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, said member having a hook portion at one endthereof adapted to engage the forward end of said sole and retain saidsole in engagement with said member, a second rigid member slidablelongitudinally of said first member and carrying heel-gripping meansadapted to'engage the rearward edge of a'shoe heel, and means retainingand guiding-said members relative to each other, said heel-grippingmeans comprising an upwardly extending member having a forwardlyprojecting portion adapted to engage a recess formed in therearward edgeof said shoe heel.

3. 'A- shoe 'treecomprising an elongated rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, said member having a hook portion at one endthereof adapted to engage the forward end of said sole and retain saidsole in engagement with said member, a second rigid member slidablelongitudinally of said first member and carrying heel-gripping meansadapted to engage the rearward edge of a shoe heel, and means retainingand guiding said members relative to each other, said heel-grippingmeanscomprising an upward- 1y extending member curved to conformapproximately to the contour of the rearward edgeo f a shoe heel andhaving a transversely extending, forwardly projecting portion adapted toengage a peripheral groove formed in the rearward edge of said shoeheel. 4. A shoe tree comprising an elongated, rigid member adapted toengage the bottom of a shoe sole, said member having a hook portion atone end thereof adapted to engage the forward end of saidsole and retainsaid sole in engagement with said member, a second elongated rigidmember slidable longitudinally of and in parallelism with said firstmember and carrying at its distal end heel-gripping means adapted toengage the rearward edge of a shoe heel below the counter, and meansretaining and guiding said members relative to each other, said lastmeans being adapted to automatically frictionally retain said members inthe relation to which they are adjusted.

5. A shoe tree comprising an elongated, rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, said member having a hook portion at one endthereof adapted to engage the forward end of said sole and retain saidsole in engagement With said member, a second rigid member slidablelongitudinally of said first member and carrying heel-gripping meansadapted to engage the rearward edge of a shoe heel, and means retainingand guiding said members relative to each other, said last meanscomprising a sleeve embracing said members for urging them intofrictional engagement.

6. A shoe tree comprising an elongated, rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, said member having a hook portion at one endthereof adapted to engage the forward end of said sole and retain saidsole in engagement with said member, a second elongated rigid memberslidable longitudinally of and in. parallelism with said firstmember andcarrying at its distal end heel-gripping means adapted to engage therearward edge of a shoe heel below the counter,

and one way clutch means for frictionally locking said members againstextension from the relation to which they are adjusted.

7. A shoe tree comprising an elongated, rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, said member having a hook portion at one endthereof adapted to engage the forward end of said sole and retain saidsole in engagement with said member, a second rigid member slidablelongitudinally of said first member and carrying heel-gripping meansadapted to engage the rear ward edge of a shoe heel, and means forfrictionally locking said members in the relation to which they areadjusted, said last means comprising a wedging member loosely confinedbetween relatively inclined surfaces of said respective rigid membersand adapted to be wedged between said surfaces to prevent relativemovement of said rigid members in a direction to extend said tree.

8. In a shoe tree comprising a pair of rigid members slidable relativeto each other for extending and contracting said tree, means on saidmembers for externally engaging, respectively, the projecting toe soleand the heel of the shoe locking means comprising a wedging memberloosely confined between relatively inclined surfaces of said respectiverigid members and adapted to be wedged between said surfaces to preventrelative movement of said rigid members in a direction to extend saidtree.

9. A shoe tree comprising an elongated, rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, said member having a hook portion at one endthereof adapted to engage the forward end of said sole and retain saidsole inengagement with said member, a second rigid member slidablelongitudinally of said first member and carrying heel-gripping meansadapted to engage the rearward edge of a shoe heel, and means retainingand guiding said members relative to each other, said heel grippingmeans comprising an upwardly extending member curved to conformapproximately to the contour of the rearward edge of a shoe heel andhaving a high friction surface adapted to engage and cling to said heel.

10. A shoe tree comprising an elongated rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, toe-engaging means secured to said member, asecond rigid member slidable longitudinally of said first member, meanssecured to said second member adapted to engage the heel below thecounter, and means for adjusting the height of said toe-engaging andheel-engaging means relative to said members.

11. A shoe tree comprising an elongated rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, toe-engaging means secured to said member, asecond rigid member slidable longitudinally of said first member,heel-engaging means secured to said second member, and wedge means foradjusting the height of said toe-engaging and heelengaging meansrelative to said members.

12. A shoe tree comprising an elongated rigid member adapted to engagethe bottom of a shoe sole, toe-engaging means resiliently secured tosaid member, a second rigid member slidable longitudinally of said firstmember, means resiliently secured to said second member adapted toengage the heel below the counter, and wedges slidable longitudinally ofsaid members and adapted to adjust the heights of said engaging meansabove said members.

GEORGE A. PEIRCE. EDWARD C. NEW'ELL.

